Pearl and the Manga of Corruption
by Weaver the 8th
Summary: A short little scene between Steven and Pearl where she feels a certain series of manga Steven reads is corrupting his sense of what is proper to do when defending innocence.


"Steven!" Pearl stormed down the stairs to Steven's bed, a big stack of books in her arms. "Steven we need to talk!"

Steven, who was laying on the floor tilted his head back to see Pearl standing at the base of the stairs, Amethyst lounging on the couch tossing a ball against the ceiling over head leaving a thwack noise in the background. "What's up Pearl?

Pearl frowned and tilted her head up to the ceiling where the ball just hit it again. "I found these picture books by the side of your bed."

"Oh, my manga." Steven grinned and eyed the books Pearl was holding. "Did you want to read one. I think you should start with Sailor Moo-"

"Steven! This stuff is perverted!" Pearl walked over to the trash can and dumped the books in.

"Whaaaat?!" Steven let out a scream and quickly got to his feet. Running to the trash can he took the books out and began to wipe goop off it. "It's not perverted Pearl. Its about super heroes who strive to protect the world and stuff. Like you guys."

Pearl scoffed and leaned back waving her hand dismissively. "I can't believe this disgusting excuse for literature has you so mesmerized."

"It's only disgusting cause I haven't got all the egg off them yet." Steven looked back down to the books and continued to clean them off.

"That's not all egg, I dumped some other stuff in there too." Amethyst lethargically lifted her arm up as she spoke, but after finishing let it fall back down.

"Uh... I'm gonna get a damp washcloth..." Steven walked on over to the sink and was followed by Pearl. "But seriously, this is some pretty cool stuff Pearl. You seem like a real Utena type of gal... though... uh... I actually haven't read the manga..."

"I'm sure there are nice manga out there Steven, but these are not one of them." Pearl scoffed again, the sound of thwacking continued. Pearl's brow quivered before she snapped around and stomped her foot. "Would you stop that! I'm trying to have a serious conversation with Steven!" Pearl then motioned her hands to Steven who was now drying his books off.

"Come on P, I've read some of those. I didn't see anything wrong in 'em." As the ball began to fall down, Amethyst did a flip into the air and sent the ball zooming one last time into the ceiling with such force that it broke through it. The three of them stared quietly up at the hole, then everyone's eyes slowly fell down onto Amethyst, "Whoops."

"I can't say I'm surprised you'd approve something so disgusting." Pearl grabbed a book from Steven and flipped to a certain page. "Look at this!" Pearl then showed Steven and Amethyst what she was talking about. The page was opened up to a young woman with a doll like anatomy with so much light that she floated high in the sky. This sequence went on for a quite a few panels till she finally finished off in her frilly magical girl dress.

"Oh, that's her transformation sequence. That's always one of my favorite parts. It looks so cool." Steven grinned, while Amethyst just shrugged.

"I knew it! Its corrupting your mind!" Pearl slammed the book shut. "I have to get rid of these before they cause you anymore damage." Pearl then took the books from Steven's arms leaving his mouth gaping open.

"But, Pearl! What's wrong with that?" Steven ran after Pearl, who looked set in her decision. Clinging to her shirt he began to get dragged across the room. "Pearl!"

"C'mon P. We've seen that kind of stuff before. What's wrong with it in that book?"

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what!" Pearl opened the book back to the same part. "You realize how much energy it would take to get this girl to levitate? Enough to vaporize just about anything in her vicinity. Yet instead of utilizing her transformation time to dispatch her enemies who are harming innocent people, she frolics about for who knows how long leaving the enemy to hurt them. I simply will not allow Steven to have something that would give him such perverted ideas."

"Wait... that's your problem with it?" Amethyst began to scratch the back of her head as she looked uncertainly at Pearl.

"Well, yes of course. What did you think my issue was." Pearl glared at Amethyst who just shrugged.

"Why were you calling it perverted though?" Steven looked confusedly at Pearl who sighed.

"It means something that is not considered normal or acceptable. Also it's something that is corrupt. Seriously Steven." Pearl dumped the books back into the trash and took the bag out before Steven could take it out again. "This is for your own good."

"Nooooooo!" Steven fell to his knees with his arms out spread as he yelled in agony. Growing calm he shrugged his shoulders. "Well at least I still have-"

"I took the one's you had under your bed and floor boards too before I decided to confront you on this." Pearl said nonchalantly as she walked out the door.

"Nooooooo!" Steven yelled again before falling onto his back. His eyes weakly opened up once Pearl was gone, and he slowly raised his hand up. "It's all gone... years of collecting some of greatest magical heroes out there and there gone in one day..."

Amethyst walked over to Steven and looked down at him with a smarmy grin, her light purple hair dangling right above Steven's forehead. "You know, I like to scavenge all the stuff that Pearl deems 'trash'."

Steven gasped, and his eyes began to sparkle. "You mean..." Amethyst grinned and slowly nodded her head. "Yeeeeeeees!"

Amethyst then covered Steven's mouth and glared at the door, which showed no signs of another presence coming. Looking back down to Steven she raised a finger to her lips.

"...yeeeeeees..." Steven whispered as he pumped his hands into the air.


End file.
